Martin's excited voice came through the phone. "Victor just told me they won't terminate the contract, and they're dropping the compensation claim."
Kristen's hazy gaze stayed fixed on the man at her door. She answered evenly, "Oh."
Martin sounded puzzled. "Why aren't you surprised? Or excited? The company also said they'll handle the online mess for you."
Kristen lied without blinking. "I'm thrilled. If you don't believe me, come see."
"I'll pass," Martin sighed. "Didn't expect a turn for the better like this. You should've seen Victor's attitude when he told me—so gentle I got goosebumps all over the floor."
"Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up." She cut him off before he could answer and swayed toward the door.
Leon saw her unsteady steps and moved in to support her arm, polite and respectful. "Miss Liang, are you alright?"
Kristen shook her head, pushed his hand away, and leaned half against the door, unlocking it with her fingerprint. "What are you doing here?"
Adjusting his glasses at the bridge of his nose, Leon replied, "I'm here to take you to the villa."
Kristen had been drinking; her cheeks were flushed, her eyes narrowed, and even her voice had gone soft and liquid. "Villa?"
"Qixiyun. Mr. Jin's instructions," Leon explained.
Thinking of the man's lofty posture in the private room, irritation rose in Kristen's chest. She said lazily, "Oh. But I don't want to go. What should we do about that?"
Leon's smile froze for a second, but as Jason's right hand, he'd seen every kind of scene. He quickly recovered. "Please don't make it difficult for me, Miss Liang."
Even drunk, Kristen knew he, like her, was just a salaried worker. Why make life hard for another draft animal?
"I'm not prepared today. I'll pack and contact you."
She went in and shut the door.
Leon's "You don't need to prepare anything" died in his throat with no chance to come out.
With the door closed in his face, he had no choice but to turn and call Mr. Jin.
Inside, Kristen leaned against the door panel, listening as the footsteps outside receded, then staggered to her room and collapsed onto the bed.
The world tilted and spun.
She rubbed her temple, took a few deep breaths, and thought better of herself a moment later.
Since she'd chosen to seek Jason's protection, no matter his attitude, she could only accept it willingly.
If she was going to sell, then sell completely. Half-virtue, half-vice—pointless.
Once her mind was made up, Kristen pushed off the bed, opened the wardrobe, packed a few outfits, went to the bathroom for a skincare set, shoved it into her bag, and headed out.
Qixiyun was a high-end lakeside villa development by the Jin Group's real estate arm. Each villa had expansive lawns, with top-tier privacy and security—only the very rich and powerful lived there.
The taxi could only go as far as the outer gate. Kristen got out with her bag and wobbled toward the security office.
Questioned by the guard, she couldn't answer much of anything. The alcohol was dragging her under. In the end, she sat in the security room, hugged her bag, and fell asleep.
An hour later, a Maybach pulled up at the gate. Before Leon could open the door, Jason stepped out and strode toward the security room.
The door stood ajar. The guard—a young man—straightened when he saw Jason, respectful to a fault. "Mr. Jin, this young lady said she's here for you, but the villa's housekeeper said there was no appointment, so I didn't dare let her in."
Jason didn't respond. He reached the doorway and stopped abruptly, his gaze locking in an instant on the woman curled in the chair.
(End of Chapter)
If you like the story, please leave a review and donate some Powerstone